‘My Mother Always Says’ is beautifully written by an amazing, strong resilient mother and daughter team. It is a heartwarming combination of memoir and self help. Gwen Borden is thriving at the young age of 93. She shares many of the challenging, joyful and difficult times during her life. And the bonus is the lessons she’s learned shared throughout the book. Her daughter, Amy shares her own perspective during her childhood and throughout her adult life. Oftentimes mothers and daughters do not see eye to eye or want advice. The more years we experience life, we see the value, appreciate the wisdom offered from a loved one - especially a mother.
Two of my favorite from Gwen as I relate to while reading the book are:

’There are no bad experiences in life, just the ones you don’t learn from'
'We often worry about the wrong things’

I highly recommend this book which is a quick read with a lot of value.

My Mother Always Says is a beautifully written memoir that seamlessly blends personal storytelling with insightful self-help guidance. Amy and Gwen take readers on an authentic and honest journey, sharing life experiences that are both relatable and inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the book was written from both writers’ perspectives and there are practical and thought-provoking take aways on every page to apply to one’s own life. Highly recommend!

“My Mother Always Says” is an inspiring and heartwarming book written by Amy Goober and her 93 year old mother, Gwen Borden. This remarkable mother-daughter duo weaves together personal stories of resilience, strength and optimism, even in the face of adversity. Each chapter offers fascinating anecdotes and valuable life lessons, providing a unique perspective from both generations. Their ability to find the silver lining in challenging situations makes this book both uplifting and deeply relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will highly recommend it to my mother, sister and adult daughters!!

When I was growing up, the lessons and guidance that my mother gave me shaped me into the man that I became. I was interested in this book because of the title, and the fact that the book was co-written by a mother-daughter pair. I was impressed by the resilience and positive attitude of Gwen Borden (the mom), who is an inspiration for both men and woman in today’s world. Her near century of experiences, and the way she handled the curveballs thrown at her, resulted in many insightful life lessons. The daughter (Amy Goober) linked her own experiences to her mom’s, and with each example, encouraged the readers to consider positive actions. The book was a quick and easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it for anyone seeking more happiness and perspective in their own lives.

This was a heartwarming story combining a memoir and self help guidance. This mother- daughter duo provided relatable content and lessons applicable to anyone. I loved the anecdotes from both women and seeing the different ways they apply the lessons in their lives. The book was very positive despite the hardships the authors have experienced. I think this is a great book for all adult women to read no matter the relationship with their own parents. This was a shorter book but well worth the read.

My Mother Always Says is a touching homage from daughter Amy to her mother Gwen, capturing their unique and shared experiences as they navigate the ever-evolving landscape of life. Amy reflects on the invaluable lessons Gwen has imparted over her remarkable 93 years, emphasizing that family is defined by more than just blood relations and that a supportive community is essential. She highlights the importance of taking initiative and embracing one’s authentic self, noting that what may seem like missteps can often lead to unforeseen blessings. Throughout her life, despite facing challenges and moments of solitude, Gwen found beauty in every journey she undertook, particularly when she followed her own path rather than conforming to the expectations of others. A powerful takeaway from Gwen’s wisdom is: “Remember, there are no negative experiences, only those from which we fail to grow.” Filled with honesty and vulnerability with an ancestral heritage feel, this book inspired me to embrace the journey because as we go, we grow!


Jodi Reiki

"My Mother Always Says" by Amy Goober and Gwen Borden , is an intelligent and inspirational read from highly accomplished mother and daughter team. Gwen shares 25 valuable lessons from her 9 plus decades of life, as Amy, Gwen's daughter shares her insight on the lessons and provides how it relates to her experiences.
Gwen's stories are equally captivating and motivating. With each experience Gwen reflects on what she learned from it and how it helped her to face many of life's challenges. Each lesson leaves you with pearls of wisdom and awareness that are relatable to your own life.
Gwen's lessons and Amy's insights are both heartwarming and encouraging. The book is enjoyable, leaving you wanting to read more of their life lessons.

“The only bad experience is one you don’t learn from. “Don’t ask why questions.” "You can tell your adult children what to do, but only tell them once.”

So says Gwen Borden, the 93-year-old social worker, entrepreneur and professor whose eventful personal history is profiled in “My Mother Always Says,” a well written, engaging and useful new book by Borden and her daughter, Amy Goober, an action and accountability coach.

Each of the 12 chapters of “My Mother Always Says” starts with a first-person account of a pivotal stage of Borden’s life followed by the lessons learned by Borden and Goober. The depth and insights of this mother-daughter partnership deliver complimentary perspectives, providing a book whose value is both expansive and profound. While dividing the book into 25 brief lessons encourages ease of reading in brief sessions, one lesson at a time, I found Borden’s story and the lessons learned so compelling I read it in two sittings.

Borden was born during the depression to parents whose older daughter was diagnosed with polio and whose illness and care took most of their attention away from their newborn daughter. She lost her husband to brain cancer at 42, becoming a widow and single mother within a few weeks of his diagnosis. Despite these and other significant life challenges, Borden has, throughout the years, used her experiences to learn and transform her life’s path. As Borden would say, “how can you use the pain in your life to help you move forward?”

Borden and Goober’s lessons have universal value. Both Borden’s life story and Goober’s current experiences as an Action Coach guiding women in transitional stages of their lives provide real world scenarios in which to frame -- and reframe -- life events, even those that seem insurmountable. As Goober says, “It’s important to remember that while you can’t change the experience, you can change how you frame it, and what you learn from it.”

"My Mother Always Says" by Amy Goober and Gwen Borden is an enjoyable read that sneaks up on you with moments of deep insight and reflection. This is an intelligent and inspirational book by a very accomplished mother-daughter team. Gwen shares 25 invaluable lessons from her remarkable nine-plus decades of life, while her daughter, Amy, beautifully weaves in her own insights and experiences.
What I loved most was how each chapter offered new words of wisdom. Gwen’s stories are both captivating and motivating, showing us how life's challenges can become opportunities for growth. Her reflections on what she learned from each experience are not only heartwarming but also serve as gentle reminders of what truly matters in life.
Amy’s perspective adds an extra layer of depth, making the lessons feel even more relatable. She seamlessly connects her mother’s stories to her own experiences, offering practical and thoughtful insights on how to apply these lessons to our own lives.
If you're looking for a light yet impactful read that feels like a gentle nudge toward living a more thoughtful and resilient life, this book is an absolute gem. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for inspiration and encouragement.